EVENT: BONHAMS AUCTION, SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA

For decades the car collecting community has annually descended on Scottsdale, Ariz., during the middle of January for the year’s first significant automotive auctions. Some of the major houses, which will hammer down impressive—possibly record-setting—sales, naturally garner the most attention since their sales span several days; however, car enthusiasts and discerning collectors would be wise to not overlook Bonhams’ single-day auction. When bidding commences at the Bonhams Scottsdale event, held at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa on January 17, a trio of highly coveted European sports cars will cross the block.

AUCTION OF THE YEAR

Considered by many to be the world’s first supercar, the Lamborghini Miura seduced car enthusiasts when the first prototype debuted at the Turin Motor Show in 1965, and it again shocked audiences at the Geneva Motor Show the following year when the first production example premiered—a car that boasts a top speed of 180 mph. Over the next six years, Ferruccio Lamborghini and his team of automotive engineers continuously enhanced the Miura, making each subsequent iteration faster and more durable than the last. Those efforts culminated with the “Spinto Veloce” or SV variant, a car that featured a V-12 capable of 385 hp.